Chapter 28: Finding A Place To Stay
“Young Lady, you are truly lucky. This room just became available.”
The real estate agent enthusiastically introduced it, leading Miss Yang into an alley.
The alley was very narrow, with only three households, and they all seemed uninhabited, covered in moss, like two different worlds from the bustling street market not far away.
The real estate agent led Miss Yang and Mo Zheng to the one at the very end, opened the locked door, revealing a small courtyard with three rooms, dainty and exquisite.
Miss Yang asked Mo Zheng: “What do you think? Do you like it?”
She was really going to give her this house. Mo Zheng smiled and nodded: “It’s convenient to go out right by the street, and quiet once you walk in.”
Moreover, crossing one street led to Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, convenient for watching the movements at Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, and hidden enough not to be discovered. Miss Yang was also very satisfied.
The real estate agent said: “Young Lady, the most important thing is that it’s cheap. This price is hard to find in the capital city. No wonder you’re lucky—it just became available yesterday, and you came to ask. If you waited a few more days, it would definitely have been snatched up.”
Indeed, their luck was good. She had thought they would need to search for several more days. Originally, she thought they should pick the biggest real estate agency, but in the end, following the principle of making the home poor but the road rich, the hunter youth who was generous with spending chose a real estate agency that didn’t look very prosperous.
“Don’t underestimate an unassuming real estate agency. If it can stay in business, it must have its skills.”
The hunter youth said it as if he knew all about it.
She had thought A Sheng had become timid after entering the capital city, but unexpectedly, he really found one.
Miss Yang looked around and signaled to Mo Zheng: “This one it is.”
Mo Zheng agreed.
The real estate agent happily led the two out. Suddenly, a tall man in his thirties with a full beard came walking toward them in the alley, carrying a basket with a pig head in it staring at everyone.
The real estate agent and Miss Yang were both startled. The next moment, a courtyard house opened, and a woman walked out.
“…Why did buying a pig head take so long? The brine soup is almost all boiled away.”
This was a woman around thirty, still holding a knife in her hand….
Miss Yang and the real estate agent instinctively stopped.
“Are these new neighbors?” The woman also saw them and asked with a smile.
Mo Zheng made a sound of assent and signaled to Miss Yang, “Young Lady, let’s go.”
Miss Yang then hurriedly stepped forward, the real estate agent quickly following. At the alley entrance, he muttered softly again, “The place next door has been rented out too? I didn’t hear about it.”
Mo Zheng asked Miss Yang in a low voice from behind: “Do you mind having neighbors? Should we change to another place?”
Miss Yang shook her head: “Having neighbors is better. If something happens, maybe we can ask them to look after things.”
Mo Zheng said okay. Miss Yang caught up with the real estate agent. She lagged one step behind and looked back, seeing the couple standing at the doorway of their courtyard house talking, also looking at them…
Mo Zheng withdrew her gaze and walked onto the street.
They had rented the house, swept and cleaned the courtyard house, bought furniture. Miss Yang even wanted to go to the temple to get incense, cleanse the house, and pray for blessings, but Mo Zheng stopped her.
“Young Lady, there’s only one box of money left, and more than half has already been spent,” she said. “Moreover, you didn’t come to the capital city to settle down. You should think about what to do next. Just go to the street to watch Duke Ding’an’s Mansion?”
Miss Yang naturally hadn’t come to the capital city to rent a house and settle down. She just wanted Mo Zheng to live more comfortably before the unfortunate ending arrived.
Of course, for someone who didn’t know the ending, this intention couldn’t be explained.
Miss Yang smiled, nodding and then shaking her head: “I’ve already thought about what to do next, but it’s not watching Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.”
Mo Zheng asked curiously: “What to do?”
Miss Yang looked at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone placed on the newly bought desk, as well as a few books.
“Study diligently,” she said.
……
…….
Night had deepened. In the alley, two of the three courtyard houses had lights on, giving it a bit more signs of life.
In the courtyard house, the young lady was asleep sprawled over the desk, still clutching a brush in her hand.
In the courtyard house next door, two rooms had been opened up into one. One had a cutting board, where the couple was chopping meat and trimming bones with clanging sounds, while on the other side, their two stoves burned vigorously.
“Study diligently?”
The woman stripped the meat cleanly from a bone in three or two strokes, threw the bone into a large pot, and asked curiously.
“What is she going to do?”
Mo Zheng threw firewood into the two stove pits respectively: “Five years ago, the Emperor summoned learned scholars from under heaven to the capital city to debate scriptures. A year later, he established the National Academy, appointed Prince Qi’s Wang Zaitian as Libationer, hired five great scholars of the time to teach. Scholars from under heaven, regardless of school of thought, age, or family background, as long as they pass the exam, can enter the National Academy to study, and then be selected and granted official positions. The first batch of talented persons has already been selected and granted positions. This year will bring the second major exam.”
Miss Yang had indeed mentioned the National Academy once, but she actually didn’t know its origins.
If she were present, she would certainly be shocked that the hunter youth knew so much.
But at this moment, the couple chopping meat indoors showed no surprise at all.
The bearded man just widened his eyes in surprise: “She wants to take the exam too? Can women take the exam?”
Mo Zheng shook her head: “Women indeed cannot take the exam.” Then she smiled again: “But women can study.”
She looked at the two of them.
“Some time ago, the Emperor wanted three princesses to go to the National Academy to study, so he needed to select companion readers for the princesses.”
This was what Miss Yang had said—hmm, the source was the prophet.
The man and woman understood.
“A Sheng, you know so much,” the woman praised, then glared at the bearded man: “Zhang Sheng You, you came to the capital city blind as a bat, knowing nothing.”
The bearded man Zhang Sheng You grinned sheepishly: “I know to just protect A Sheng well.”
Tao Hua muttered: “But A Sheng almost lost her life, and Mr. Jiang’s family also died.”
Zhang Sheng You didn’t retort this time, his expression dim.
A trace of regret flashed in Mo Zheng’s eyes, then she said: “We will definitely find out. I haven’t died yet, they will come again. When that time comes…”
Tao Hua snorted, chopping the knife on the cutting board with thumping sounds: “When that time comes, this old lady will chop them to death.”
Although Zhang Sheng You didn’t speak, his gaze was firm.
Mo Zheng smiled and nodded, not continuing the topic, then said: “In short, the princesses need companion readers. Noble families all want to send their own daughters over. For fairness, and to select truly talented companion readers for the princesses, His Majesty had the National Academy hold an exam.”
Tao Hua said: “So that Miss Yang wants to take this exam and become a companion reader for the princess.” She frowned again: “But how is this Miss Yang going to take the exam? Isn’t she incognito?”
Although the National Academy allowed scholars from under heaven to enter, it wasn’t that anyone off the street could just go in. They needed innocence, a famous name, surname, and a teacher.
For selecting companion readers for the princesses, the Emperor would naturally be even stricter. How could someone nameless, without surname, and of unknown origins be allowed in?
Mo Zheng nodded: “The companion reader selection for the princesses this time all sent out invitations in advance. Besides noble families and local magnates from everywhere, it’s also the academies everywhere.”
This allowed women from families that transmitted poetry and books but weren’t prominent to also come.
This was also one of the Emperor’s methods to open doors widely to talented people from poor families.
However, the formerly famous Miss Yang wasn’t among these talented people and had no qualifications to receive an invitation.
“Then what’s the use of her studying diligently?” Tao Hua was puzzled.
Mo Zheng shook her head: “I don’t know. She hasn’t said what she wants me to do yet.” Then she smiled again: “But this Miss Yang is very formidable.”
